Chapter 48: Louisoix's Finest Student
"Ilberd!" Alphinaud said in surprised fury. "I should have known..."
Memories came flying back at all that they suffered because of the Crystal Braves. All that happened with the Crystal Braves was his own fault, Alphinaud knew that and he accepted it… but that didn't stop the surge of hatred he felt for this man for leading the betrayal. He ran passed his friends and comrades to stand in front as he shouted out, "This has to end! It has to end now! Do you not see your countrymen dying? Have your ideals rendered you blind even to that!? Order the retreat, and we will help your soldiers to safety!"
No matter how much he hated this man, there was no reason for there to be so many lives lost because of his insane plans, whatever they be. There was still a chance to save as many lives as possible, and maybe, just maybe… they could get through to Ilberd that they didn't have to be enemies.
But Ilberd only smirked at the offer as he raised his head, repeating, "Retreat? With the moment of my triumph so close at hand? You truly are a sheltered child, Leveilleur."
Alphinaud glared back. Triumph? How could this be considered a triumph?! His own countrymen were down below and were screaming in pain as they died! There is no victory here today!
Before he could voice this, however… that was when Ilberd reached behind him and pulled out something from beneath his cloak… two identical objects that were incased in ice… two objects that Alphinaud never thought that he would see again and the sight of them was enough to make him feel fear in the pit of his stomach.
"Nidhogg's eyes!" he gasped out. How was that possible? He and Claire had thrown them over the side of the Steps of Faith! There are roaring elements of water and wind aether that can easily tear a normal person apart! No one has ever gone to the bottom of that abyss and lived to tell the tale! How it even possible was that he got his hands on them was something he couldn't understand.
Instead, he just snapped back, "...No abyss is too deep for you, I see." He didn't know what he had planned with Nidhogg's eyes, but whatever it was, it had to be stopped here for Ilberd was messing with something that he couldn't control, "But trust me when I say that such power was not meant for mortal hands!"
Ilberd looked away before he asked loudly, seemingly speaking to himself, "How long I have struggled to reach this point!" He then began yelling out in fury as though he had been wanting to say all this for years, "My countrymen so inured to the taste of defeat, they no longer balk at its bitterness. Shouting my throat raw with rallying cries, only to be greeted with dull eyes and blank faces! My 'brothers' and 'sisters' in Ul'dah have surrendered to their apathy and their appetites. Were it not for the glint of Lolorito's coin, I doubt even those here now would have answered my call!"
He took a deep breath and then went on with his rant, "Take back our homeland! Free Ala Mhigo!" he spat out furiously. "Hah! They'll happily mouth the words, but they won't spill the blood! You say no mortal should wield these eyes? Then I shall gladly become a demon! I will suckle on the souls of the hopeless, and liberate the homeland they no longer deserve!"
Alphinaud stared at him before he asked, fear quickly rising as he asked, "What exactly do you mean to do...?"
Alphinaud was too slow to grasp that leading his countrymen here was a part of his goal. He wasn't just trying to draw the rest of Eorzea into this war… but he wanted to see the lives of the men and women he felt betrayed their homeland. He would shed no tears for them as he watched them die. That was when Alphinaud understood… when Ilberd said that there was 'no price he will not pay to take back Ala Mhigo'… he wasn't lying.
"Did you hear their cries as victory was snatched away from them? Even with their dying breaths they cursed the Empire! Never has their desire for vengeance been so raw, so true! A god has no need of faith when summoned by so pure a purpose!" Ilberd smirked, having said the magic word and it all fit together in understanding.
"Summoned!?" Papalymo gasped out in horror.
It took a moment for Alphinaud to find his voice before he stuttered out in shock, "You cannot mean to fight the Empire with a primal!" He knew that Ilberd of all people knew the effects of a primal. He had worked with the Scions for a time before his betrayal… he had seen how when primals had been summoned before, only for their aid to backfire on their faithful on them in the end. "You know full well the danger ─ the futility of relying on such power!"
But Ilberd only grinned even wider, as if his words only sealed his determination to go as far as it takes.
"Oh, yes, I know their limitations ─ which is why I will call upon a deity more terrible than the very black wyrm of the Calamity itself!" he vowed as he held the eyes up above his head and the aether contained within burned with such a ferocity that the ice melted and shattered.
Ilberd held his face skyward, his eyes closed, as if he was praying to the Twelve to make his wishes come true.
"What... Here!? Now!?" Papalymo gasped, completely taken aback, not that it stopped Yda.
"Like hells you will!" Yda yelled as she charged, ready to deal a punch but Ilberd jumped away, landing on a small pillar outside of the large platform that they were all standing on, and beyond their reach. As he stood upon the ledge, Alphinaud suddenly knew what was about to happen.
"An ending to mark a new beginning... My pain! My longing! You shall have it all!"
Ilberd's face was aglow by the light from the eyes truly made him look demonic as he held his arms high once more before he fell backwards, laughing as he fell. They ran to the edge and looked downwards and Alphinaud caught one last look at the twisted, mad face… still smiling with that insane laughter as his eyes glowed with victory… and then…
Alphinaud shut his eyes and backed away as he heard the sickening crash of the body hit the ground beneath them… another corpse joining the countless others of the dead.
There was nothing but stunned silence from each of them, all of them unsure of what to do now until they saw the horrific sight of Ilberd's wish start to come true. Blood red and powerful, the ather around them began to gather above the bodies of the fallen, all of them twisting together until they formed a glowing, white sphere of light… and then it slowly began rising up into the sky.
From this ball burst a towering pillar that seemed to pierce the very heavens above them. The power from it was so great that he felt lightheaded, almost being pushed back from the backlash of energy. They were all backing away, unable to do anything else but stare in shock. The pillar was transferring the aether from the ground and was now channeling it upwards to the ever growing sphere of light, until it was pulsating… like a beating heart.
That was when an unearthly song began to rise from the bodies, like the spirits of the dead were all singing together…
To all of my children in whom Life flows abundant
To all of my children to whom Death hath passed his judgement
The soul yearns for honor, and the flesh the hereafter
Look to those who walked before to lead those who walk after
"This light, is it..." he gasped as the song continued, making his entire body shake.
"His death completed the ritual. The primal is taking shape," Papalymo sighed as he looked grimly to the light in the air.
"Well, can't we stop it!? There must be something we can do!" Yda cried in panic. She was looking directly at Papalymo as she said this, like she thought that he would have the answer.
No one knew what to do anymore, even as Alphinaud wracked his brain to get it to work. Think… Think… THINK! There must be something they could do to prevent this summon! They knew nothing about what was coming for them! No clues whatsoever! They didn't stand a chance against a primal right now! If it appeared here, then they were sure to be tempered by it! Even with the Echo protecting Claire, she had to use up her strength battling her way up this far! She couldn't fight another primal again so soon, could she?
Just as he was beginning to think that there was no way out of this nightmare, there was a tiny glimmer of hope given back to them.
"There is… one thing," Papalymo whispered softly as he slowly began to walk forward, walking right past Yda. Alphinaud was about to ask him what he was planning on doing, but Yda had already beaten him to it.
"Wha—? Hey!" she yelled, "Where do you think you're going!?"
"Master Louisoix briefly contained Bahamut by means of a potent spell of sealing," Papalymo answered back, looking directly at her. "I will now attempt to do the same."
What? He knew, of course, what his grandfather did all those years ago. When Bahamut broke free of the red moon of Dalamud, he used a spell of sealing to try and imprison it. But to do so required tremendous amounts of aether… something that they were lacking right now.
"But that's impossible!" Alphinaud stuttered out, "We would need hours to collect the necessary aether, i-if not days!"
But Papalymo sighed again as he gazed back at him.
"Ah, Alphinaud..." he answered grimly before reaching into his robes to pull something out. "Though I concede it may not always be apparent, I was ever your grandsire's finest pupil."
It was the broken staff that Alphinaud would recognize anywhere, and he understood Papalymo's plan.
"Tupsimati, of course!" he gasped, "The staff still holds enormous power, broken or not."
Suddenly, the full impact of what Papalymo was planning on doing hit him like he had been run over by a herd of stampeding chocobos. And he wasn't the only one to figure it out either for Yda was now yelling out, "Don't you dare, Papalymo! I know how that spell works!"
Before any of them could think of something, anything, to say, they heard the familiar clanking of an airship and they looked skywards to see a few familiar faces. Lady Yugiri and Thancred—whom Alphinaud hadn't seen since they emerged out of the tunnel… with most of his worry on if Claire was alright—he hadn't noticed when Thancred had slipped away… leaving Hilda at the wheel. Hilda turned the airship sharply and drew it as close as possible to the platform without needing to land.
"It is time to leave!" Lady Yugiri shouted at them hurriedly.
"Quite right!" shouted Papalymo at them, with only the slightest shake in his voice, "Quickly, now! Off you go! The further away the better!"
He didn't honestly believe that they would just leave him behind did he? He opened his mouth, not even entirely sure what he was going to say next. However, Yda beat him to the punch once again.
"No!" she shouted out furiously. "If you're staying, then so am I!"
But Papalymo turned back to her and shouted out, "No, Yda! There is a path only you can walk, and it must not end here ─ not like this!" Alphinaud was about to argue as well, but then he saw the look on Papalymo's face. He had seen that look before…
The same look that Estinien held when he went off to battle Nidhogg…
Ysayle when she vowed to find a way to put an end to the war… and then later when she sacrificed herself for them in the skies that held aloft Azys Lla…
Ser Aymeric when he went to speak with Hraesvelgr, willing to pay whatever price the dragon asked of him in exchange for his help.
And Claire whenever she went off to fight a battle.
He knew that there was no longer anything that he could say to stop Papalymo from doing what he felt that he had to.
Papalymo decided to take his fate into his own hands, and was now prepared to do whatever it took to give them another chance. Papalymo then looked over Yda's shoulder and pleaded to Thancred, "Take her! Please, you have to take her!"
Thancred stared at him, but he seemed to understand the same thing that Alphinaud just did and he nodded. Alphinaud knew what he had to do as well even before Thancred jumped down to the platform and dashed to Yda, who was still refusing to move. Alphinaud hated himself for doing this, but knew that there was no choice. They could not stop Papalymo now…
But he still fought the tears as he ran to the airship, jumping aboard even as Thancred grabbed Yda. With a startled cry, she cried out as he threw her over his shoulder, "Wha─ No!" She continued hitting him as hard as she could to get him to drop her, screaming all the while, "Damn it, Thancred! Put me down! Thancred!"
But she wasn't the only one who hadn't wanted to leave.
He didn't realize it until he looked back in time to see that Claire was still standing there with Papalymo. He was about to yell for her to come with them, even as Papalymo was shouting, "This is one battle you cannot fight. Away with you. Go!"
Claire was shaking her head, and he felt fear in the pit of his stomach once more… he couldn't bring himself to leave them both here. If she was going to stay then he would as well. But it seemed that Papalymo wasn't giving her a choice anymore. He spun about and shot a spell right at her, hitting her squarely in the chest and sent her flying backwards and landing on the airship hard.
"Hilda!" Thancred shouted out, as Alphinaud went to her side and sighed in relief to see that she merely had the wind knocked out of her. "I think he means now!"
Claire was slowly pushing herself upwards as Yda, who had been dropped on the deck, ran to the side of the airship and stared back in horror, crying out for Papalymo, even though they were already out of his earshot.
Alphinaud couldn't help but be reminded of Ysayle and how her sacrifice had helped them once before and he turned away even as the primal was wrapped up in the sphere in the sky. Fighting his tears, he hugged Claire close to him, burying his face in her clothes as the pain of the thought of losing another friend began to engulf him. They had only just been reunited with him… and now he was throwing his life away for them… why? Why did it have to come to this?
He had to bite down hard on his lips to keep himself from breaking down completely. But Claire understood as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as she kept her eyes on the sky and the glowing sphere that now hung there suspended.
*Later*
They were all in a state of shock. Thankfully, Hilda had been able to fly the ship expertly until they spotted Pipin, waving up at them to land, and they reached the ground safely. But once they did, all they could do was stare up at the sky where the miniature of Dalamud hung over the Wall. No one knew what to say as they stared at the prison… half expecting the creature trapped inside to break free at any moment.
"Are you ok?" Claire whispered to him softly when he finally pulled away from her.
"No," he answered back, but knew that she already that answer didn't she? "Why did this have to happen?" he asked again.
But she could offer no words to him, she seemed as lost as he did. Lady Yugiri approached them at that moment and they looked up at her as she began to ask what happened. She wasn't the only one, but Hilda and Pipin were also listening in as Alphinaud took a steadying breath, forcing himself to repeat what just happened mere moments ago. Once he was finished, they were staring at him in shock before Pipin passed on orders to their forces to stand ready, forced to do nothing wait and prepare for the worst. But so far, things had quieted for now.
"I understand only too well the desire to reclaim one's homeland...but I cannot condone such slaughter," Lady Yugiri whispered to Claire, who was looking miserable.
"Papalymo knew what he was doing," Thancred answered back, getting their attention and speaking for the first time since they left. "I could not refuse him."
But out of all of them, the worst one by far was Yda. They all looked to where she stood at the ledge, merely staring ahead with her back to them all. In all the time that he had known them, Yda and Papalymo were hardly ever away from each other. The two of them had always been together and now…? It was like Yda was missing her other half. He had no idea what he could possibly say to her.
"Why...?" she asked suddenly before she spun around and cried out desperately, "Why didn't they let me stay!? Papalymo is my friend! I should have been there with him!"
Alphinaud wished that he could come up with an answer that could comfort her. But his mind drew a blank. He really needed to find a way to study up on things like this! He was always being stuck by an inability to say anything.
Thancred, however, sighed as he walked forward, reminding her, "You could see it in his eyes, Yda. He knew what he was doing ─ what had to be done. Master Louisoix wore that same look, right before the end..."
Alphinaud felt that familiar sadness inside him at the thought of how his grandfather stood alone on that battlefield as he faced Bahamut. Did Papalymo feel the same way that he did? He didn't know… nor did he ever want to know what went through their minds at that moment.
"Do you think I don't know that!?" Yda shouted out, knocking him out of his thoughts. "I know, all right! I know."
"There is nothing more you could have done. Ilberd caught us all off guard. Even Claire was powerless to stop him," Thancred reminded her calmly, but firmly as he turned away from her. "If you must blame someone, then blame me. Just promise that you will never forget what Papalymo strove to protect, or the lessons he tried to teach you."
They all looked on sadly as Yda continued shaking, refusing to look at any of them… as though blaming them all for being unable to save her best friend.
"...Don't," she snapped back, her voice filled with grief. "Don't speak to me."
And they couldn't get another word out of her as she kept her eyes fixed on the heavens, like she thought that if she stared long enough, it would bring Papalymo back to her.
Alphinaud knew Claire well enough that he had an idea of how to help with her grief and pain by now… but Yda… she was so much more emotional, more unpredictable. He searched, but nothing he found seemed to be enough to say. But Thancred seemed unsurprised as he turned to the rest of them, saying, "Leave Yda with me. Go on. Go back to the Rising Stones. The others need to know what happened here."
That was the last thing that he wanted to do right now. Why must they always be the bearers of bad news? But what else could be done at the moment? Claire made to step forward and tried to console Yda, but she barely paid any attention to her as she cried, "...It's over, Papalymo. It's all over..."
"Leave her be," Thancred repeated to Claire, who lowered her hand. "Nothing you can say will console her now..."
Claire backed down and Alphinaud went to her, finding a hard time trying to keep control. He was fairly certain that if he were alone, then he would have broken down long before now. The grief was upon his heart, making it feel like he was carrying around a heavy weight inside him.
"...Once again, I find myself at a loss for words," he told her softly. Yet now wasn't the time for tears. The primal was only sealed away, not defeated. It would only be a matter of time before it broke free and if it did, not only would Papalymo's sacrifice be in vain, this primal would drain the land of aether. If they did not find a way to stop it permanently by the time it escaped… which he was sure it would do soon enough… then it could spell the end for them all, couldn't it?
"But Thancred is right," he went on in what he hoped was a brave voice. "We must return to the Rising Stones and apprise our companions of... all of this. Pray make your way there at once. I will send word to Y'shtola and the others of our imminent return. Let us return to the Rising Stones. We must gather our companions..."
They were so close together in that moment that he nearly found himself blurting with unspoken emotion. But… in light of all that's happened, now was probably not the best time for that. Instead, he gave her a hopeful smile, which she forced one in return before she left without another word.
Doing his best to keep himself together, he turned to Pipin, Hilda, and Lady Yugiri, asking that they pass on the news of what happened to the Alliance leaders. To explain who the Griffin was and what his true plan had been, as well as the threat of a powerful primal. For now they were to all remain on guard here in Gridania and prepare for the worst.
The three of them reassured him that they will do what he said before they left, leaving him with parting words of sorrow and condolences of what became of Papalymo. Alphinaud could only force a nod as he contacted with Y'shtola… grimly telling her what befell them here… as well as how they were now one Scion short.
Of course, she did not believe him at first, demanding answers and yelling at him for even joking about this. But when he did not answer, she seemed to realize that this wasn't some cruel prank or anything. Alphinaud was finding it difficult to hold himself together at this point and humbly requested that she inform the others, and he would explain things to them when he returned. He also mentioned that Thancred would be here with Yda until she was ready to return as well.
When the call ended, he looked back to Thancred, asking if there was anything else he could do.
"I'm afraid that there's nothing else that can be done," Thancred answered back with a whisper so that Yda couldn't hear them. "The two of them have been partners in crime for years now. They balanced each other so perfectly, and now…?" he trailed off with a shake of his head. "No one will ever be able to take his place for her. Her whole world is now turned upside down. She always… joked about and slacked off, to be honest. She knew she could do it because Papalymo was always there to whip her back into shape and keep her grounded. But now…? She needs to step it up and protect herself."
"I know that feeling," Alphinaud confessed, thinking back to how he was after the banquet and they fled to Ishgard. He had learned many hard lessons after that, and knew better than anyone what a difficult road that was. But…?
"But she doesn't have to walk it alone," he reminded him and Thancred nodded in agreement.
"You go back, I'll stay here with her until she is ready to leave," he told him. "She can blame me all that she wants, but I am going to make sure that Papalymo's sacrifice won't be for nothing. I'll keep an eye on her."
"I know that she will be in good hands," Alphinaud told him before he turned around and began to walk away. "Anything you want me to say to the others?"
Thancred did not answer for a long moment before he sighed and said, "Tell them, I will take care of Yda from now on."
Alphinaud could only nod as he stepped forward, his mind wandering with all that they had learned… on all that had happened. The whole while, feeling hot tears falling down his cheeks.
*Later*
Once he mastered his tears, he returned to the Rising Stones, entering to find Tataru was already there with Claire and Alisaie. As soon as she saw the despairing look on his face, Tataru had to ask, "Why does everyone look so grim? Has something happened? Say something, for heavens' sakes!"
Alphinaud whished that he could answer her, but he wasn't sure where to begin. That was when Y'shtola made her appearance, with both Krile and Urianger trailing behind her as they approached. With this array of grim expressions, Alisaie was also frowning at not knowing what was going on.
"...'Twould seem you bring ill tidings, Brother," she remarked as they all looked at him.
Alphinaud took a shuddering breath, doing his best to stay calm as he forced himself to look up at them all as he confessed, "Aye. Behind the Griffin's mask, we found the grinning face of an old adversary... Ilberd. I know not how, but he had in his possession the eyes of Nidhogg, whose dread power he used to initiate a summoning ritual, even as we looked on..."
And so he told them the whole truth. Down to the last, miserable detail. Ilberd's plan… the massacre beyond the wall… Nidhogg's eyes as well as Ilberd's death… the primal that had begun to take shape… and Papaylmo's final act as he sealed the beast away.
Everyone but Claire just stared at him in stunned silence at what they just heard. Y'shtola lowered her head as she whispered, "By the Twelve..."
"I don't understand," Alisaie gasped. "To attempt such a magick requires every onze of one's aether. No one ─ not even Grandfather ─ could cast it and hope to survive..."
That was the point, wasn't it? They knew nothing about this primal or how powerful it was. But even with the Warrior of Light there, there was no chance they could have been able to slay it all of a sudden. They needed time, if nothing else, and Papalymo could see no other way to give it to them.
"Indeed," he answered back simply with a nod. "It was ever a last resort ─ as I am certain Papalymo was aware."
"Thus did the pupil follow in the footsteps of his master...even unto the grave," Urianger said, and even he sounded choked up at the thought as he kept his head down.
Alphinaud understood, suddenly find speaking to the floor easier than looking at them.
"I have as yet been unable to explain how Ilberd came to possess Nidhogg's eyes," he whispered as he looked down at his hands. He couldn't figure it out. He had thrown one of those accursed eyes down that abyss himself! "In the depths of the Sea of Clouds, a perpetual storm of water- and wind-aspected aether rages. No mortal could endure such conditions.
"Then mayhap it was the work of an Ascian," Y'shtola offered and Alphinaud realized how much sense that made. That was true… the Ascians weren't natural were they? He supposed that they could have retrieved the eyes and once they learned of Ilberd's plan, they gave them to him. It would explain much.
"But now is not the time for idle speculation," Y'shotla sighed before she looked to Krile and said briskly, "Krile, I have need of your assistance."
Krile looked surprised by the sudden request but she agreed, "I ─ Yes. Yes, of course."
"We must inspect the cocoon of light, and ascertain the state of the primal trapped within," Y'shtola went on sharply. "Between our respective talents, I daresay we shall glean some measure of insight."
"Understood," Krile said with a nod. "I can't promise I'll be able to sense much through the barrier, but I shall certainly do my best."
"As shall I," Y'shtola said, sounding like they were just through with a business meeting before adding, "Let us be about it, then."
Then then turned and left without another word to any of them, taking both Alisaie and Krile by surprise. Krile stood there for a moment, looking from her to the rest of them before she began to follow.
"...What, without so much as a 'by your leave'!?" Alisaie asked with a shake of her head.
"Pray forgive Archon Y'shtola her brevity," Urianger reassured her kindly as he turned back to look at her. "She seeketh employment, lest her grief deprive her of the will to act. A desire to comfort Yda doubtless compoundeth her unseemly haste. I, too, must contend with this grievous loss in mine own way. By thy leave, Lady Alisaie, I shall honor our fallen colleague through gainful study. There exist writings which may yet further our understanding of this cocoon of light..."
He then bowed low before he also left. Most likely returning to the Waking Sands, to mourn Papalymo in his own way by research.
There was silence with just the four of them there. Alisaie looked down as she muttered, with shame in her tone, "...Mayhap I was too quick to judge. Surrendering to sadness and regret would be a poor tribute to Papalymo's sacrifice."
"Quite," Alphinaud said, surprised at how calm he sounded. "We must begin preparations to face Ilberd's accursed creation without delay. What time we have was purchased at too dear a price for us to squander it."
There was a thick air of sadness hanging over everyone in the Rising Stones that evening. No one knew what to say. Some members seemed unwilling to let go of the faint hope that Papalymo may have survived the spell. But as the hours went on and no other word from anyone, their optimism seemed to fade.
He wasn't sure what there was that could be said now. These events have shook him to the core. The joy of ending the Dragonsong War and helping the Warriors of Darkness find peace seemed to quickly leave him with all the grief and pain that had happened around them was finally sinking in. They had only just been reunited with Papalymo and Yda… and now… he was gone? It seemed unbelievable… but he couldn't think of any way that he could have survived.
Fear of the future seemed to wash over him like he was trying to stay afloat in the ocean in a storm. Wave after wave crashed over him and he had to struggle to keep his head above the water, until there were parts where he could no longer see the sky.
These days it felt that it was only when someone offered a helping hand and pulled him out to where he could see the stars once again. At the thought, he looked up in time to see Claire was saying her goodbyes to Alisaie and Tataru, telling them that she would keep herself busy until they needed her.
He didn't say a word as she headed to the doors. But once she was out of his sights… he felt as though he was sinking back into deep waters.
(Hope you like the chapter! It sucks that we only have part 1 and we won't know when the second half will come out yet. At least a date Square Enix! Is that too much to ask for? However, there will be a bonus chapter coming up before part 2 comes out and I hope that you will all be looking forward to it.)
